Hanger-board for electric fixtures



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. R. LEAN.

HANGER BOARD FOR ELECTRIC FIXTURES. No. 449,266. Patented Mar. 31, 1891. I

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. R. LEAN; HANGER BOARD FOR ELEGTRIG FIXTURES.

No. 449,266. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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GEORGE R. LEAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERN- STEIN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

HANGER-BOARD FOR ELECTRIC FiXTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,266, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed June 9, 1890- Serial No. 354,697. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. LEAN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in lIanger-Boards for Electric Fixtures, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct a hanger-board for electrical fixtures, it being especially designed for use where the fixtures must be made quite short.

My invention comprehends the construction of a hanger-board whereby it may be adapted for use in series or multiple-arc lighting.

In accordance with this invention, two linewire blocks are mounted on a base to which the line-wires are connected. A switch is also provided, it comprising two stationary members and a removable member.

The removable member, which I will herein denominate a switch-plug, is secured to or connected with the fixture-rod, it having two conducting portions or plates, which are adapted to engage or contact with the stationary members of the switch orv connection. The fixture-rod is preferably made tubular, and the wires leading to the lamp pass down through said tubular rod, said wires being connected to the conducting portions or supports.

hen the hanger-board is intended for use in connection with lamps arranged in series,

the conducting plates or portions comprise a greater part of the circumference of the switch-plug, so that under no condition will the line be open, and a circuit-closer is also employed to electrically connect the two stationary members whenever the switch-plugis removed.

When the hanger-board is intended for use in connection with lamps arranged in multiple-arc, the conducting plates or portions may be made quite small, covering a smaller portion of the circumference of the plug, so that it may be turned and open the line, and no circuit-closer to electrically connect the two stationary members of the switch is necessary. A yoke is attached to the base-plate of the hanger-board, which supports the fixture-rod, which is herein represented as provided with an externally-sore\wthreaded portion to fit an internally-screw-threaded opening in the yoke.

Figure 1 shows in verticalsection ahangerboard for electric fixtures embodying thisinvention, it being shown as adapted for series lighting; Fig. 2, a front view of the hangerboard shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side view of the hanger-board shown in Fig. 1; Fig. l, a sectional detail of the switch-plug; Fig. 5, a plan View of the hanger-board shown in Fig. l, the switch-plug being removed; Fig. 6, a vertical section of the hanger-board embodying this invention, it being especially adapted for multiple-arc lighting; Fig. 7, a plan view of the hanger-board shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 a sectional detail of the switch-plug shown in Fig. 6.

The base-plate a, of any suitable shape, has secured to it (see Figs. 1 to 5) line-wire blocks a a, adapted to receive the line-wires a a which are held in place by suitable binding-posts a a A yoke b is attached to the base-plate a, it having an internally-screw-threaded opening to receive the externally-sorew-threaded fixture-rod c. The fixture-rod c is made tubular to receive the wires which pass down through the rod to the lamp.

To effect proper electrical connections a switch is provided comprising two stationary members or portions (Z (Z and a removable 'portion (Z the latter having on it two conducting portions or plates 2 3, which are adapted to engage or contact with the stationary members cl cl.

As represented in Fig. Lthe two stationary members (I d are formed integral with the line-blocks a. a; but it is obvious that they may be made independent and electrically connected one with the other.

The device represented in Figs. 1 to 5 is especially designed for use in connection with series lighting,and the conducting-plates 2 3 on the switch-plug d cover more than onehalf the circumference of said plug, and the two stationary members (Z d, having curved contact-faces, are made quite wide, so that no matter what position the switch-plug may oocupy with relation to the stationary members the circuit will not be opened "bythis switch.

To close the circuit when the switch-plug d is removed, a circuit-closer eis attached to one of the stationary members, it being herein represented as a spring-acting arm which overlies and contacts with the other stationary member, said arm diametrically crossing the Space between the two stationary members, so as to be struck and moved by the switch-plug as the plug is inserted, and to effect electrical connection between the two stationary members when the switch-plug is removed. The base-plate a is recessed to receive and permit free movement of the circuit-closer c. A shell or casef incloses all the parts, said shell or case being adapted to be moved freely on the fixture-rod c to obtain access to the parts for purposes of repairing t he same or for any other purpose. I

It will be seen that this form of hangerboard is compact,that it enables the parts to be brought closely against the ceiling, and that the shell or case f may be made quite small and yet inclose all the parts, and that the fixture-rod 0 may be made very short, as, for instance, when utilizing the lamp in streetcars and similar places.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 ,substantially the same device is represented, except that it is .devised especially for use in connection with multiple-arc lighting, and as a result the circuitcloser c is omitted and the conducting-plates on the switch-plug are made much smaller than represented in Fig. 1, so'that when the switch-plug is turned into a certain position so that the conducting-plates bear a certain relation to the stationary members of the switch or electric connection the circuit will be open, as it is the intention to at all times leave the circuit open when not in use.

, The operation of the device is substantially the same in both instances.

The device represented is very strong and 7 durable, and will support a very large and heavy fixture when required, as the yoke b may be made heavy, and so also the baseplate to which it is attached, and no strain will come on the line-wire blocks or the stationary members of the switch.

By means of the hanger-board herein described it is possible to use a very short supporting-rod, and thereby bring the lamp very close to the ceiling or wall for the reason that ed to contact with the line-wire blocks a a,

and the inside wires connected to said conducting-plates 2 3, substantially as described.

2. In a hanger-board for electric fixtures, the base a, two line-wire blocks a, ,a' on the base a and adapted to receive and'hold the line wires, and the intern ally--screw-threaded yoke I), combined with the screw-threaded fixturerod 0 and-cylindrical end portion having on it two conducting-plates 2 3, adapted to contact with the line-wire blocks a, a, and the inside wires connected to said conductingplates 2 3, and the switch 6, connected to one of the line-wire blocks and adapted to contact with the other when the fixture-rod, with its projecting insulated end portion, is removed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence or,

two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE R. LEAN. Witnesses;

BERNICE J. NoYEs, ANNIE S. WIEGAND. 

